White Sox center fielder Brian Anderson is blogging during the Postseason as he and his teammates look to bring the World Series back to Chicago's South Side.

A quiet Game 1 loss

I don’t know what happened in the seventh inning (with
Orlando Cabrera and Grant Balfour exchanging words). I wasn’t paying attention to
the swings and stuff. I was getting ready in case I had to pinch-hit, so I didn’t
see much of it.

Some guys just get caught up in the emotions, and I think
that got the best of Balfour. Stuff happens with him. He just got caught up. He’s
an emotional guy. He throws hard. He’s probably a great guy but just got caught
up a little bit.

As for my at-bat (leading off the eighth against J.P.
Howell as a pinch-hitter), I tried to put myself in a great hitting situation,
and I don’t know, man. I got myself in the best situation I could to hit and I got
out. It was a good call, strike three. It was a good pitch (on 3-2).

I don’t know where we go from here. I guess you have to
ask Ozzie. He’s the manager. But really, it’s a five-game series, so we just
need to put it behind us and get back going tomorrow.

36 Comments

It was cool if OC wants to challenge the pitcher, but for Gods sake, don’t STRIKE OUT!!
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It’s best out of 5, don’t be too hard on yourself!
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Frankly, 85% of WS Fans feel that anything that happens now is an added bonus – you guys were picked to come in 4th, so 1st is pretty darn good
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Get out there try your best! –
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Jennifer

Being the gentlemen that you are, it was so gracious of you to spot the Rays one game. But now that that’s out of the way, tomorrow I’m expecting you will come out swinging like I know ya can! Great pitching by Clayton Richard (whom we affectionately refer to as Little Big Man) in a pressure situation. He handled it like a pro (which he is). Beautiful strikeout from Oh-do-tel. Love to see D.Wise bringing guys on base home after a nice bunt from Juany. And the late inning homer from Paulie was just the icing on the cake. Now a White Sox win on the road would be like having my cake and eating it too!! GO SOX!!

Hey Brian it is one game. I know you guys are competitors but you sound so down! Most Sox fans have been hoping for a split in Tampa then come on home and get some home cooking!! Down today but tomorrow is a new one. Have to say I thought Clayton did an outstanding job of holding them.

Mark on the mound with Tampa much worse against lefties and his great pickoff move. LOVING our chances. Chin up my man!!

I was at the ‘blackout’ game in Chicago when you stuck it to the Twins. No matter what happens in this series, nothing changes the great accomplishments of the White Sox this year. The last stand you guys took winning three must wins in a row was incredible, and your catch at the end of the clincher was amazing…

You are the White Sox best defensive center fielder, and I hope to see you in the field more often. Let’s even this series tomorrow!

You’re right, Brian. Go get ‘em in Game 2. Short note: when you hustled out to second to pinch run for Griff against the Twins the other night I said to myself, “Now that’s a ballplayer. Always hustling. Always prepared. Always professional.” You got us hyped on the Southside. Can’t thank you enough.
–Jeffhttp://redstatebluestate.mlblogs.com/

You guys have heard this from everyone, but you just have to relax and play your game. Patience Produces, except for maybe Alexei. JD, Jimmy, Paulie, and Griffey have to just do their thing and crank out some homers. And how about you find a way to get AJ caught up in a controversy that’ll completely unfocus the Rays. Just go out, play your game, and don’t squander opportunities. You guys drove me insane this last week, hell, this whole season with the ups and downs, but it was one of the best seasons, aside from 2005. I went to a lot more games this year and you guys won them all except two. You guys proved the experts wrong about the division. Prove them wrong again. I’m keeping the faith. Get a win tommorow and then bring it on home.

To Jennifer: that’s Lance Broadway.
To Brian: I’m sorry, buddy. Hope they give you more playing time soon. I’m sure they’ll eventually be credited with enough triples and insider the park homers to help the pitchers out with some defense. In the meantime, keep doing what you’re doing.

You’ll get to them tomorrow. No worries BA. Remember the 2005 theme song, “Don’t Stop Believin.” You guys have proven that you can push your way back from the brink and prevail. Just take it one day at a time. Your only goal right now is win on Friday.

I love the Sox chances right now. You guys came through in the clutch. We Sox fans wouldn’t mind a little less tension, but I know you’ve got it in you.

P.S. Amazing catch against the Twins. I jumped from my seat on that one. You’re a gold glover in my book BA.

I think Buehrle will do the job today and bring it back to Chicago with the series tied. You guys have a great chance to win because of the experience gap between Buehrle and the Rays’ starter. By the way – great catch to close out the regular season. GO WHITE SOX!!!

Brian, thanx for taking the time to blog during this post season. As a long time Sox fan now living on the East Coast, it adds to my staying connected to the team and the fans. I add my congratulations to you and the entire team on winning the division. You guys have shown you have what it takes to prevail. What a way to end the game on Tuesday. I got home that night well after the game started and had to play “catch up” with Tivo. My daughter knows I have always been a huge BA supporter and has listened to me complain on more than one occasion about your lack of playing time. (By the way you certainly have made your playing time count this year!) Anyway, she knew how the game ended before I was done watching the tivo’d game and had secretly given my husband the heads up that Mom was not going to be in a bad mood later. The two of them couldn’t wait to see my reaction at the end of the game as it was made even sweeter by your diving catch! I think all the neighbors on the block heard me screaming even through the closed windows. Yesterday is past, today is a new day and Mark is on the mound – go get ‘em White Sox!!

Brian, Don’t be too hard on yourself about that at bat. I know you’ll be ready the next time. When you’ve gotten an opportunity to hit you’ve gotten something done. I know you don’t get to see live pitching, but every couple weeks so it’s got to be hard. With Buehrle on the mound today I like our chances. I’d also like to thank you for being so nice at that autograph signing at that chevy dealership this past summer. Me and my dad came from work and he told you, you were his favorite player. He was so thrilled as was I that you made that awesome grab to end the game Tuesday when we were there. Good luck today and hoping to see a 1-1 tie heading back to the south side.
Eric

Great to hear the inside scoop on things. We are all confident you all will come back to Chi-town with a 1-1 series!
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Regardless of what happens we can’t wait till you all are back at home!
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Great job during that one game playoff, can’t wait to see more of your great abilities during the next few games.

Hi Brian, Just wanted to tell you and the guys that we will never give up on you. Thanks for the great season we have had so far. Are prayers are that you guys go all the way, but if it’s not to be we are still proud of all of you, be positive because we are staying positive.
Thanks, Judy Lovato (Tony’s mom) GO SOX!

Keep up the good work Brian. Game 2 is ahead and we want you guys to win and bring it back home for two more wins. I love the White Sox. What a great season you guys brought us and I hope it’s an even greater post season. I was at the game when you made that catch to clinch the division. That was awesome!
Thank you White Sox, See you when you get back to Chicago.
Dan Brown
Go Go Sox

Hey, Brian, we fans really appreciate you taking the time to blog. I can only imaging how busy your schedule is, with practices, game prep, and so forth. So it’s truly kind of you to share this postseason experience with us.

No worries about yesterday – its OVA! Just go out there, and support Mark Buehrle, and you’ll come back to Chicago with tht series all tied up.

I love watching the replay of your catch to end the clincher game on Tuesday – love how you play with so much heart.

Good luck to you and the rest of the team, BA! We may not be there, but we’re with you all the way! Picture everything you saw on Tuesday night because that’s the energy coming down to you from Chicago. We’re so proud of all of you, so let’s keep it going!

Brian,
Thanks for the info on what is happening down there. The Rays have had such an amazing year, I knew it was gonna be tough to go there and win. But it’s not over till it’s over! I think things will be different here at home! Take two at home and then worry about how to get em in Tampa Bay. By the way, AWESOME catch to end Tuesdays game.

Hi BA,
Nice to hear about your playoff experience. I guess you’re doing the blog because no one else wanted to do it. Or did you really volunteer to do it?

Anyway, what I really wanted to say was I was at Monday and Tuesday’s games at U.S. Cellular. I think you may have heard me because I’m very loud. I’ll be there again on Sunday and Monday screaming my head off. Do you really think that helps you guys?

Hey BA!,
That catch to end that Twins game on Tuesday was an omen for good things to come, take 3 in a row against the Rays! I’m going to the game Sunday so don’t hide, I want to get a chance to see you! We will all be there in black to scare the TB Rays, so you guys just have to pick on them while they’re down! Good luck, either way, you proved the critics wrong by coming in first!

The White Sox, mostly Nick Swisher, struck out WAY too much this year looking. Sorry Nick, but your swagger only goes so far … In the playoffs Brian, its unacceptable to strike out looking in such a close game, especially in a pinch hitting situation. Darryl Ward of the Cubs has made a career of coming off the bench in mostly big, pinch hit situations.

It is hard coming off the bench in a late, close game … but no excuses. Ask Geoff Blum about coming up big, late in a game. I have never seen a guy hit the ball w/ out swinging the bat … and as hard as it is to write this … I have never seen a team win a game that didn’t want to win that game. Which is what we saw against the Rays in the playoffs.

I share Kenny Williams’ disappointment when it comes to being eliminated in the playoffs, only having won the division. We saw a White Sox team that had no drive in that series against the Rays. The drive that was there beating the Indians, Tigers and the Twins … Congrats on the division title, it was a great finish to the season and screw the Twins anyway.

The Sox were capable of beating the Rays, but the Rays played well and jumped on the Sox. Sure the Rays played better than the Sox, but those were winnable games.

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